Moto G in Verizon Retail Packaging Leaked, Could be Priced at Only $100 (Updated: With Release Date)

 

We have known that Verizon plans to bring the Moto G to its network sometime in Q1 of 2014 since November, but this afternoon, we are seeing that this device is turning into something much more than just a cheapy pre-paid phone. It’s actually not that bad – priced at $179, it features suitable specs for anyone who looks to score a phone off contract that won’t either a) snap in half due to cheap materials or b) suffer from poorly-made software and other issues. Either way, as a few folks are finding out, the Moto G is a great phone for the price.

Thanks to a new leak, the device has been spotted in apparent Verizon retail packaging. According to the leaker, the device might even come with an outrageously low price tag of just $100. Seriously, just a $100. That info is nowhere near confirmed, but if they happen to have their hands on the retail packaging already, then it’s quite possible that they know Verizon’s future plans of marketing the device for an insane price.

Regardless, if the Moto G is launched on Verizon for just $99, Moto and Verizon might see crazy sales taking place. Would you pick one up for $100?

UPDATE: Sources have told us that the device launches at Best Buy on January 9. That is the “hard street date.”

 

 

Source: Droid Life

Motorola Teases Moto X Wood Backs, Tells You to Put Your DIY Wood Project on Hold

Did our holiday wish come true? Is Motorola on the verge of releasing wood backs as a MotoMaker option for the Moto X? According to a Tweet that was published today by the official Motorola account, we have been told to officially put our DIY wood projects “on hold.”

The last status update we had heard on the wood backs for the Moto X suggested that we wouldn’t see them until after Thanksgiving, but that they would arrive in time for the holidays. With X-mas less than two weeks away, the time could be here. Motorola is certainly cutting it close, but you know what, we won’t complain for a second.

Wood options should be available to all carriers, with Verizon all-but-confirmed thanks to @evleaks. The wood options that have been in the pipeline since launch are Teak, Ebony, Rosewood, and Bamboo, potentially at an additional $50 charge.

Should we look for tomorrow to be the day? Who wants wood?

 

 

Source: Droid Life

Moto G: Unboxing, Overview, and Hands-on With Motorola’s New Prepaid Phone

A tasty little Black Friday treat arrived on our doorstep today, so even though we’re sitting in the middle of a long holiday weekend, we couldn’t hold back and decided to unbox it. Yessir, here is our first look at the Moto G by Motorola, an incredibly inexpensive phone targeted at emerging and prepaid markets.

For those not familiar with the Moto G, you are talking about a phone that is either $179 (8GB) or $199 (16GB) off-contract, works on all sorts of HSPA+ networks across this globe (CDMA variant on the way too), and still has decent enough specs to give everyone a solid smartphone experience without the typically high price. The GSM version is currently available now in the U.S. through Motorola’s store with the CDMA variant arriving in a month or two. Amazon has it up for pre-order.

In terms of specs, the Moto G has a 4.5-inch HD (720p) display, 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (quad-core) processor, 5MP rear camera, 2070mAh battery, and runs Android 4.3 (with a guaranteed upgrade to Android 4.4 on the horizon). It may not have LTE, but at those prices, I’m not sure even data speed freaks can complain.

So what do we think about it? After only a few minutes with it, it’s obvious that this is the little brother to the Moto X. In fact, it feels (and is according to measurements) almost identical in hand, outside of a little extra thickness towards the bottom. The craftsmanship is there, plus the camera, dimple, ports, and buttons are all in the exact same places. It’s certainly plastic, but by no means does it feel cheap.

Performance doesn’t seem to be an issue yet, as the device is responsive enough for its price and set of specs. It isn’t necessarily as buttery smooth as the Moto X, Nexus 5, or LG G2, but it shouldn’t be. If I only had $200 to spend on a phone, I think I’d understand that it isn’t going to be the best of the best. No matter what, this phone seems so far to be able to hold its own.

If there is one downside, it’s that the phone doesn’t have Touchless Control or Active Display, two of the most popular features of the Moto X. I guess I’m not sure I was fully expecting them to be there, but since the phone size and style-wise is so similar to the Moto X, it was a bit of a disappointment. Then again, Motorola is trying to keep the price as low as possible, so their X8 Computing System and variety of chips had no chance of making the cut.

Overall, I’d being lying if I didn’t say that I was impressed. For what you get at $179, everyone should be.

 

 

Source: Droid Life

DROID ULTRA and Mini Now Available in White From Verizon

 

Earlier in the week, we saw press renders leak for both the DROID ULTRA and DROID Mini in white, with sources of ours telling us to expect both devices to arrive on Black Friday. We’re now in the early hours of Black Friday and both devices have popped up in white on Verizon’s website.

You aren’t looking at a price drop or anything other than a color change, but both can indeed be had in white. The DROID ULTRA still runs $99.99 on-contract; the Mini is $49.99.

We reviewed the ULTRA shortly after it launched, finding it comparable to the Moto X outside of a cheesy build quality that collects fingerprints with the best of them. But other than build and design, it does all of the things we love so much about the Moto X, only with a slightly bigger display.

 

 

Source: Droid Life

Motorola Hosting Cyber Monday Deal, Grab an Off Contract Moto X for Just $349

 

If shopping online is more of your thing rather than standing in lines on Black Friday, Motorola announced that they will host a special Cyber Monday deal for those who look to pick up the company’s 2013 flagship device, the Moto X.

Motorola is selling all Moto X phones for $150 off, bringing the grand total to $349 for a 16GB model or $399 for 32GB. The deal includes Moto X devices bought off of MotoMaker, as well as Developer Edition units.

$349 for the Moto X is an absolute steal – we just wish the wood backs were ready by then. Picking one up?

 

Source: Droid Life

Moto G Shells and Flips Shells Now Available Starting at $14.99, Ship December 2

 

Motorola surprised us somewhat yesterday when they announced that their ultra-affordable phone, the Moto G, was now available in the U.S. as a GSM phone. Without a contract at $179 for the 8GB model, and $199 for the 16GB model, this might be the best deal in the mobile industry. Sure, the phone doesn’t have LTE, but most HSPA+ networks are plenty fast these days, just ask Nexus 4 owners how they’ve held up over the last year.

To top off its striking price, the Moto G also carries a bit of the Moto X’s customization swagger by being able to utilize swappable back plates called Shells. There are 19 options altogether through Shells, Flip Shells (like a Samsung Flip Cover), and Grip Shells. As of this morning, the Shells ($14.99) and Flip Shells ($29.99) are now available with free shipping. The Grip Shells are not yet available.

If you choose to pick up a Moto G and a Shell or two, you are looking at color options that include turquoise, black, cherry, lemon lime, chalk, violet, and royal blue.

Before you get too invested in the price of the Moto G, remember that Motorola is hosting a mega-sale on Cyber Monday for the Moto X with MotoMaker. You can pick up their 2013 flagship for $350 without a contract. The Moto G might be the best overall value in the industry, by that Moto X deal is the best we have seen heading into this holiday shopping weekend.

 

Source: Droid Life

‘Moto G’ link appears on Motorola’s website, has since been removed

 

Just last week a new Motorola trademark showed up for the name “Moto G”. Since then we’ve heard several reports claiming that Moto G will be the official name for the upcoming budget version of the Moto X, previously called the Motorola DVX.

In reality, we have yet to see any real proof that Motorola plans to use the trademark name anytime soon – until today.

A little over an hour ago the first reports came in revealing that Motorola’s website had been updated to include a button labeled “Moto G”. Clicking the link would bring users to a non-existent webpage “www.moto-g.com”.

As these kinds of “accidents” go, it didn’t take long before the link was completely removed, but it certainly got our attention. Although the mishap doesn’t prove the Moto G’s launch is imminent, it certainly lends credence to the idea.

So what do we actually know about the Moto G (aka Moto DVX)? Nothing officially, though the rumor mill claims the device will have a 4.5-inch ‘non-super AMOLED’ display, a dual-SIM slot, removable colored backs and the same X8 computing system found on the Moto X. We have also heard that pricing for the Moto G (DVX) will be around $200 – $250 outright.

It seems hard to believe that Motorola could offer the phone for such a low price considering it doesn’t seem terribly different from the existing Moto X – so speculation is certainly advised. Perhaps Motorola will actually cut back on the processors for the Moto G, too? Only time will tell for sure.

What do you think, would you be interested in a lower-cost version of the Moto X or are you more interested in picking up the Nexus 5 when it arrives?

 

Source: Android Authority

Motorola Xoom 3G finally gets Ice Cream Sandwich in the UK

More than a month after the European roll-out of Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich for Wifi-only Motorola Xoom tablets begun, the British 3G version of the Xoom is finally getting its ICS update. That’s right — until recently, the UK 3G Xoom was two versions behind the U.S. Wifi version, which recently got bumped up to Jelly Bean. We’ll just let that sink in for a second.

In any case, ​Eurodroid​ is reporting that those who’ve stuck it out with the 3G Xoom for the past year or so have been rewarded with an OTA update to Android 4.0.4, and with it the knowledge that they’re only one major version behind Xoom owners across the pond. If you’ve got a 3G Xoom, head to Settings > About tablet > Software updates and finally kiss goodbye to Honeycomb.

Now begins the wait for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, though given the timing of this most recent update, we certainly wouldn’t hold our breath. If you’re feeling brave (and impatient), you may want to check our friendly Motorola Xoom forums for tips on rooting and flashing a Jelly Bean ROM on there manually.

Source: Eurodroid

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE Rumored to Launch on Sprint on August 19th

Rumor has it that Sprint is planning on launching the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE next Sunday on the 19th of August. Motorola officially announced the phone about two weeks ago claiming a Sprint launch in the “upcoming weeks.” If you’re not familiar with this device, here’s a quick rundown on its specs:

• 4.3-inch ColorBoost display (assuming qHD – 960 x 540)
• 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (assuming the Snapdragon S4)
• 1GB of RAM
• 8MP rear camera with 1080p video capture
• Front-facing HD camera
• micro HDMI with mirroring
• Sprint ID, offering an innovative way to personalize an Android smartphone with apps, widgets, ringtones and more all, in a single download
• NFC
• LTE

Minus the resolution of the device, everything else is top tier when it comes to specs. With physical QWERTY-sliders still popular to many people, I’m sure this device will be welcomed. Does this impending device appeal to any of you guys?

Source: Phonedog

False alarm; Motorola will not be releasing a new 4G LTE device this friday

 

Earlier today we reported that Motorola posted a teaser on its Facebook site indicating a new device coming Friday. While everyone assumed it would be the Motorola RAZR HD due to the numerous leaked photos, it turns out the post on Facebook was actually just a game. Becki Leonard, a spokesperson for Motorola, released a statement: “We’re sorry for the confusion, but it’s a Facebook game asking people to guess a current smartphone and not meant to come across as a new phone.”

It was an easy mistake to make as the post was quite ambiguous to begin with. It asked people to “guess the smartphone” and that clues would be revealed each day until it would ultimately be unveiled on Friday. When Facebook commenters started throwing out the RAZR HD, Becki Leonard denied the rumors and stated, “It’s a phone already on the market. It’s which current smartphone is this?”

I’m sure this news will sadden some folks as the RAZR HD has been an anticipated device from Motorola. Hopefully news of the RAZR HD’s release will leak out soon, and we’ll be sure to inform you as soon as we know.

Source: talkandroid